iStill do, iAlways will
by FictionAficionada
Summary: SEDDIE - Its been 6 months since graduation and Sam, Freddie, and Carly have different things going on but its winter break and everyone is coming home to Seattle.  What happened after the kiss at the Lock-in? -Post iOMG but prior to ensuing episodes
1. i'm going home

_Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider._

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><p>Sam Puckett stared at the clock on her studio desk—2:00 AM. In exactly 8 hours she'd finally be free. What she wouldn't do for a bacon fix right about now, she thought to herself. She looked out the window of the design studio and could hear the cold December wind howling outside; it couldn't be more than 20 degrees out there. There was no way she would be walking back to her dorm tonight. It was looking like it was going to be cot city tonight as she stared at her makeshift bed under her desk. She looked around the studio to find that several other students had already clocked out on their own cots. She stared at the vellum paper on her workspace and she prepared to complete her final overlay of her PalladioGropius floorplan study, the lines so crisp and clean from her drafting pen, lines that she herself drew but that seemed too tidy…too neat for a Sam Puckett. Only 8 more hours and she'd be submitting her portfolio and would be on the next plane out to Seattle for the holidays. Only 8 more hours and she would officially be done with her first semester at the Rhode Island School of Design. Yes, you heard right, Sam Puckett doing actual schoolwork!

During her senior year of high school Carly and Freddie motivated her to take her artistic and creative talents and put them to use in a "productive manner"…one that didn't involve a life of crime that is. And that is how she ended up here, in a design studio at 2AM in the middle of a cold winter's night, as an aspiring architect.

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and tried to remember the last time she ever had to work this hard…or work at all for that matter. Well there was that one time at Chili My Bowl when she had to pay Carly and Freddie back but that was only one week. This had been 15 weeks of brutal labor and all-nighters. Lock-ins weren't just a once a year thing like in high school…it was an everyday thing. If she had known she'd be in for all this work she might have reconsidered that life of crime. Without Carly and Freddie, she was actually forced to do her work…on her own!

After high school, they each took off in different directions. Carly remained on the west coast and moved to California to pursue acting and singing. The popularity of iCarly helped her get off to a good start. She hadn't seen Carly since the summer but emails, phone calls, and video charts were frequent between them.

Frednerd ended up on the east coast as well, not too far from her, at MIT in Boston. Shocking she thought, that the nerd ended up in one of the largest geek schools in the nation. He was only an hour away by train which was still way too close for her liking. He would call every now and then but her design schedule usually conflicted with his nerdy tech stuff. They'd speak for brief periods when they did speak but things were different now. Everything changed the night at the lock-in during their junior year. Yes, they were still friends, who loved to hate one another but it wasn't the same anymore after the incident—that kiss—it changed them and it made her highly uncomfortable, something she wasn't accustomed to.

She'd have to face him again during the winter break and she could only hope that he had finally forgotten about that night. She snapped out of her thoughts as she spotted her new arch-nemesis across the room sleeping on his desk. Eric was a fudgebag golden boy whose daddy was a big-time architect in Boston and had made several contributions to the school. He believed it earned him the right to call Sam's work "elementary….but a good attempt for an amateur" during peer reviews. Her blood boiled beneath her skin as she remembered it and oh how she'd love to shove his T-square where the sun don't shine! She thought about it but was too tired to move and instead hopped into her cot and drifted off to sleep.

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><p><em>Stay tuned for the next chapter.. :)<em>


	2. i'll be seeing them soon

_Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider_

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><p>Freddie Benson stepped out of his computer engineering class and let out a sigh of relief. That was his last exam and soon he'd be on his way home. As he exited the double doors, he buttoned up his coat and started the hike back to his dorm. It was early morning and the sun was lazily making its way out from behind the clouds. He was confident about his performance on that last exam and nothing could blemish the fact that it was the end of classes for the next 3 weeks. He had just enough time to get back to his dorm, grab his luggage, and head over to Logan International Airport for his flight home to Seattle.<p>

He smiled at the thought of finally seeing Carly, Sam, Spencer, and Gibby again. It had only been about 4 months since he last saw them but he still missed them. Carly and Spencer were out on the west coast and he frequently spoke to Carly online. Gibby had gone to the University of Florida on a football scholarship and seemed to be enjoying Florida's weather and the excuse it gave him for never wearing a shirt. And Sam…he sighed as he thought of that blonde-headed demon—she was only an hour away but managed to avoid him like the plague. Whenever he tried to work out some time to see her or hang out with her, she was always just too busy. She even missed a Cuttlefish concert in Boston claiming she had a 26-page report for her architectural history class. Sam doing work, Freddie smirked at the thought of it.

Freddie had been so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't realize he was almost passing his dorm building. He ran up the stairs and stepped into their warm apartment shaking off the cold winter air.

"Dude, is that you?" he heard a voice call from the other room, his roommate.

"Yeah, it's me, you ready to head to the airport?" he asked

"CHEAAHHH!" came the reply as Brad stepped out of his room, dressed in enough layers to take on a full-blown winter storm, suitcase in hand. Freddie laughed at his excitement; Brad had been counting the days until winter break. He wasn't 100% positive but he thought that Brad's excitement may have something to do with a certain Miss Carly Shay. He had noticed the two frequently video chatting online lately but chose not to pry.

Freddie and Brad had become good friends during their last year of high school. When both had been accepted to MIT, they decided to skip the process of getting stuck with socially awkward roommates with weird habits and hobbies, and they decided they would room together. It was an arrangement that worked out quite well for them.

Freddie's phone rang, it was the cab driver downstairs, and the two boys grabbed their belongings and headed out the door.

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><p>A few hours earlier in Providence….<p>

Sam ran back to her dorm from her final design review. She had received praise and accolades from both her professor and the guest architect on her presentation, who knew Sam Puckett could do so well in school! As she ran out the door of the studio she made sure to drop by Eric's desk…doing her happy dance and gave him a "How-do-you-like-them-meatballs!" as she Zap-a-Gapped a plank of balsa wood to his forehead that read 'Sam Puckett is the queen and I am her footstool'.

She had packed her suitcase ahead of time. No, she had not become that responsible but Carly had urged her to do it early so she wouldn't miss her flight. The last thing Sam wanted was to be stuck in Rhode Island for another day. She threw her sketchbook and drawing pencils into her bag figuring she'd get some design sketching done, if she had time, when she wasn't busy torturing someone during break. She ran out the door and headed toward the train station, it was 10:00AM and it was an hour ride to the airport and she needed to make sure that plane did not leave without her on it.

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><p>Freddie and Brad ran through the terminals at Logan Int'l looking for the check-in counter for their airline. They had been caught up in traffic and were now 20 minutes shy of their flight's noon departure. They managed to get their bags checked and made a sprint for their departure gate. Freddie was thankful he had been regularly going to the gym or else he would not be in shape for such a mad dash. Just as the final boarding call was made for flight 495-direct to Seattle, Washington, Freddie and Brad stepped onto the plane gasping for air. That's when they heard an all-too-familiar voice.<p> 


	3. iWant My Free Peanuts

_Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider_

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><p>"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T SERVE FREE SNACKS ANYMORE!" she yelled at the steward, a tall gangly man in his late 30's who appeared to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.<p>

"Miss, you need to calm down, we've got a variety of snacks that can be purchased from our snack cart! Most airlines don't serve free snacks anymore really." he replied quietly, the sweat dripping off his brow. Oh boy, Freddie thought, you never tell a woman to calm down, he learned that lesson long ago.

The wild-haired blonde appeared ready to pounce, and this flight attendant was her prey.

"So, Ruben is it?" she said reading his name tag, "What you're telling me is that you strive to be like every other airline? What happened to differentiation, people! We're XYZ Airlines and we wanna be just like ABC airlines and everyone else out there! Real innovative thinking there Ruben! They should make you head of marketing!...FREE PEANUTS GO A LONG WAY, DUDE!"

Freddie sighed and shook his head but luckily he had come prepared for this. He had spent a lot of time around Sam in their many adventures over the past 4 years and to say that she got cranky when she was hungry was a severe understatement. The saying goes that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Freddie begged to differ: Hell hath no fury like a Sam who has been starved.

He turned to Brad who was still gasping for air and with a knowing look Brad pulled out a bag from his backpack. Freddie approached slowly and carefully as not to startle her and become next in her line of fire.

I'm sorry M-m-miss," a weary Ruben replied "I don't make the rules."

She let out a groan, "Ughh! What kind of fudgi—"

"Excuse me!" Freddie interrupted loudly.

He saw her square her shoulders and tense as she turned on him. He held the bag out hoping she would attack it and not him.

"WHAT DO YO—" she wheeled around, a look of surprise washed over her only for an instant when she took note of the unexpected face. She then took note of the bag in his hands, "Ohhh Fudge! Come to Mama" and she snatched the bag greedily from his hands.

Freddie smirked, yep, that was Sam alright.

She turned back to Ruben, the steward, who was now cowered in the seat as her anger began to simmer down. She stared at him then yelled "Dude!"

"Y-y-yes miss?" he asked quietly, afraid of what was coming next.

"Ugh, my seat!" She said pointing to the window seat he was half-passed out in and she gestured for him to leave.

"Y-yes miss, so sorry" he apologized and shot up quickly out of the row he had been backed into, mouthing a 'Thank You' to Freddie as he sped off down the aisle.

Sam took her seat and was obviously well-entertained by her bag of fudge. Freddie stood over and stared at her as she devoured it.

"You know, a thank you would suffice or even, I don't know, maybe a 'hey Freddie, nice to see you'" he said to her.

She shot her eyes up at him and stood up and without batting an eyelash, slapped him clean and easy across the face.

"SAM! Oww! What was that for? Geez!"

"That, dork, is for eavesdropping on my conversation!"

"Eavesdropping? Really? Everyone in Boston could hear that 'conversation!'"

"Quit your yakking Benson and let me enjoy my fudge."

"Well, it's nice to see you too Sam." he said as he grumpily took his seat next to her.

"Yo! Brad," she said finally taking note of his presence "good fudge, man!"

"Hey Sam! Thanks, glad you enjoyed it" he replied to her. He shot Freddie a look of relief that his seat was several rows ahead of theirs and wished him luck. Freddie looked over at Sam and figured he needed all the luck he could get.

"Benson! What do you think you're doing?" she asked in frustration

"What? This is my seat! And how come Brad gets a normal hello and I get slapped?" he snapped back at her.

"Geez, Fredward, you are such a girl! Consider it a high-five on your face…and Sam Puckett never high-fives. You should be honored."

Freddie couldn't help but laugh at this. Sam would always be Sam and some things would never change.

"Soo…I didn't know you all were on this flight" she said after a moment of silence.

"Well I only tried calling you 5 times this week to no avail" he said.

"It was finals week, no time for anything but studio work" she said yawning and avoiding his stare.

He nodded in understanding but still couldn't help feeling that she had been avoiding his calls. He thought that they would have grown closer when they came to the east for college. Without Carly around they only had each other but Sam seemed to distance herself from him more and more every day. He turned on his pearpod and thought that maybe he'd get a chance to talk to her about it over break. A voice in his head replied to his own thought, "Fat chance, you couldn't even get the girl to talk to you after she kissed you! What makes you think she'll crack now?" He looked over at Sam who had already fallen asleep as the plane took off, she looked so peaceful in her sleep but a hint of sadness lingered on her face. She was still stunning though and he closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep into dreams of a night he wished he could have back.

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><p><em>What night does Freddie want back? and why?...Stay Tuned to find out! :D<em>


	4. iThink It's Going to Be a Long 3 Weeks

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon.

Song references made are property of the following artist(s) and their respective record label:  
><em>Anything for You<em> – Brendan James (Decca Label Group).

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><p>It was about 2 hours into their flight when Sam woke up; she was hungry and she was sore from the position she had contorted herself into in her seat as she tried to get some sleep. She glanced to her side to see a very uncomfortable looking Freddie fast asleep, slouched in his own seat, his head and arm hanging out towards the aisle. She hated to admit it but she was surprised when she turned to see his face earlier during her rant back in Boston. Even though she was fully aware that she'd be seeing him in Seattle, she had hardly expected to end up on the same flight with him. Part of her, the part that she didn't let him see, was happy to see him but the other part didn't know what to feel. So in typical Sam Puckett fashion, she pretended not to care.<p>

This was the first time, since they had boarded in Boston, where she allowed herself to take a full look at him. Yes, the last 2 years had been good to the nerd, she thought. He looked even better now than he did when she had last seen him in the summer. Freddie had transformed during their junior year in high school. He was no longer a geeky little runt…he was…well Freddie was hot! Sam felt the blood rising to her face as these thoughts crossed her mind. He sat there with the sleeves of his royal blue oxford rolled up to his elbows, and it fit his toned body nicely. His jaw was now chiseled, more manly than she remembered but it still held that boyish grin that could make any girl's heart skip a beat. Yes, he was a good-looking guy but what seemed to be amaze her even more was that he didn't even know it; his nerditude factor covered up any potential overconfidence that would usually stem from guys who looked like Freddie. Sam groaned to herself, she was sounding way too much like Carly lately with these sappy girly thoughts oozing out, it was embarrassing!

She leaned over and pulled out one of his earphones to see what he had been listening to on his pearpod. The melody of a piano filled her ears, a song she did not recognize but it was soft and sweet, she listened to the words:

…_I fell down to you  
><em>_In a parachute of newspaper, rubber bands, tape, and glue  
><em>_So you could see that I would do anything for you…_

A small smile formed across her lips at these words, she thought it described him perfectly, a bit sappy but totally Freddie. He really would do anything for the girl he loved. He had helped her out so many times despite all their quarreling and bickering, so she knew that when he did find his "It" girl, he really would go to the moon and back for her. Naturally, once he found that perfect girl, Sam would hate her. A knot formed in her stomach as she thought of this perfect girl who would be everything a Sam Puckett wasn't. Sadness washed over her as she realized she could never be his happily-ever-after.

…_I didn't want to wake you up  
><em>_So I put the flower in cup  
><em>_On the floor next to your bed  
><em>_Without a sound I laid my head…_

She looked a few rows ahead and noticed Brad sprawled out in his seat. He and Freddie had become good friends since their nerd-bonding during that mood face project—the project she had been helping them out with.

…_Drifted off into a dream,  
><em>_About what's been and what could be…_

Sam glanced back at Freddie. It had been over a year since the incident at the lock-in. She felt a tightening feeling in her chest and hoped she wouldn't have to spend her break feigning bouts of heartburn and acid reflux. Sam had a flair for some outlandish performances but what she had done at the lock-in—well that was just plain crazy, she told herself. She wasn't sure of the exact moment it happened, when it was that her feelings changed, it happened slowly without her realizing it. But that night in the school courtyard, he was there in front of her, just feet away, saying all the right things—then BAM! She had kissed him. She had kissed Freddie Benson and she knew the mistake she was making as she watched it happen in slow motion. The memory now flashed before her eyes in a blur and she remembered him just standing there, eyes open, frozen in place. She had kissed him and he hadn't kissed back! As the panic started to rise, she apologized for her mistake and ran off before she could hear his apologetic rejection.

_...I saw your tears, I saw you fall…_

As she snapped out of her flashback, she felt something warm, both wet and salty, rolling down her cheek. It was a foreign feeling but realization quickly swept over her. _NO! Suck it up Puckett…you will not go there,_ she chastised herself at what she felt was a ridiculous display of emotion unbecoming of a Puckett.

…_But I saw us rise, yeah I saw it all—…_

She quickly wiped away the teardrop and threw the earphone back into Freddie's lap and slammed her head into her tray table. At that same moment she heard another loud bang and she lifted her head just in time to see the snack cart plow right into Freddie, whose head had been hanging out into the aisle.

"Oww!" he shouted as he groggily woke from his slumber.

"Classic! Nice going Ruben!" Sam yelled, a laughter building up in her throat.

She stared at Freddie who seemed to be coming around and realizing what had just happened, a huge grin on her face.

"Geez, Benson, for a second there I thought you had put a dent in the snack cart!" she laughed with delight.

He stared back at her, her deep blue eyes lit, so piercing and so lively, the same blue eyes he had been seeing right before Ruben rammed into him like road kill.

"Sir, I am so sorry! Are you OK?" Ruben asked worriedly.

"He's fine Ruben, you should be asking the snack cart if it's OK!" replied Sam with an impish grin on her face.

Freddie rolled his eyes and rubbed the sore spot on his temple.

"Sir," Ruben started, "Please, accept these complimentary snacks from the snack cart as my deepest apology."

Freddie thanked Ruben as he was handed a Peppy Cola, Fat Cake, and a ham sandwich.

Sam's jaw dropped and Freddie smirked knowing he now had the upper hand, as he unwrapped his ham sandwich slowly. Sam was fuming in her seat and pulled out her sketchbook as Freddie wallowed in ham. She couldn't believe the nerve of that nub.

"Whatcha drawing there, Sam?" He asked with a full bite in his mouth now, his brown eyes sparkling in the wake of his latest victory. She looked at him and thought she'd love nothing more than to wipe that damn grin off his face.

"Mind your own chizz!" she replied. She couldn't believe she would have hopped on a 5 hour flight without bringing her own provisions. She never left the house without some ribs or bacon in her bag!

Freddie sighed and put his sandwich down on his tray table. Sam wondered if she would be fast enough to snatch if from him. Apparently he already knew what was coursing through her mind and said: "Don't even think about it Puckett!"

She slumped back in her seat. Once upon a time this was easy for Sam; she could easily take on Freddie 3 years ago: she was faster, she was stronger, and he was gullible. Now she wasn't so sure anymore, the nerd had bulked up and grown wiser to her tactics.

"I'll make you a deal," he started, his chocolate brown eyes focused intently on hers, "We only have 3 measly weeks of vacation, and I would prefer if we didn't spend every minute of it arguing. So if you can put forth the effort and at least try to find some semblance of good Christmas cheer and kindness, then you can have the rest of my food. So, do we have a deal?"

He saw her shift uncomfortably in her seat and stared trying to gauge her reaction. If he knew Sam at all, which he felt he knew her better than she might think, this was an offer she couldn't refuse. He saw a worried look cross over her face as she considered the ramifications of this agreement and then there it was, the look that said it all, she had another 3 hours on this plane and she had no food. She begrudgingly conceded…but she conceded and to Freddie that was all that mattered right now. He sat back with a satisfied grin on his face.

Sam snatched the sandwich out of his hands and stared at the TV screen in front of her seat. This ham sandwich had better be worth the trouble she was getting herself into, she thought. If she had to play nice with Fredward over the next 3 weeks, things were going to get awkward fast. It looked like it was going to be a long winter break.


	5. iDid Not See That One Coming

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon.

It was Friday, a week before Christmas, and the Seattle-Tacoma airport was already buzzing with the usual holiday hustle and bustle. Surprisingly, their flight had arrived in Seattle on-time at 2 o'clock on the dot. Every corridor was filled with lights and Christmas carols sounded down the terminals and the giant Christmas tree had already been set up in the atrium. As they deplaned, Sam's phone rang; it was a text from Carly. She had probably noticed that their flight had landed and wanted to know which gate they would meet at; her flight had arrived from L.A. an hour before.

Sam looked at the text on her phone, "_Hey Sam_…_Flight Delayed in L.A. …Sorry, we should be there by 7PM."_

Great, she thought, all she wanted was to plop down on Carly's couch and sleep off the rest of the afternoon but that would have to wait. Spencer had flown out to L.A. to help Carly with some packing before the holidays and was flying back with her. Since they were running behind that meant she'd be spending the next few hours with Freddie. She found comfort in the fact that at least Brad would be around to mitigate any tension and awkwardness.

Sam turned to Freddie and asked, "So…would it be OK if I catch a ride with you guys?"

"Um…sure," Freddie replied as he searched for their luggage in the baggage claim carousel, "but isn't your mom planning on picking you up?"

"No…she's spending the holidays in Atlantic City with her new boy-toy" she answered as if it should be obvious, "I'm spending the entire break at Carly's."

"Ohh" was all he said as he looked up with a funny look on his face that Sam couldn't quite explain. She saw him and Brad exchange a quick and knowing glance, and thought the two must have developed some kind of nerd telepathic communication system while rooming together at MIT. Brad turned to see her watching them and shot up nervously.

"Hey…I think I see my bag over there," he said pointing to nowhere in particular, "I'm just going to go—now" and he quickly scurried off to retrieve his imaginary luggage.

"Annywaay," she said noting Brad's odd behavior, "so when is Crazy getting here?" she asked looking around obviously referring to Freddie's ointment-loving OCD mother.

"Sam! My mother is no—," he began but was interrupted, as if right on cue.

"FREDDIEBEAR! Is that you! There you are!" screamed the voice as she came running towards him at full speed, filling his face with kisses.

The one thing that would never change and would never get old to Sam was watching Freddie's mom's incessant displays of public humiliation.

"Hi Mom," he said hugging her, "Mom! Please stop!" he begged as she licked her fingers to fix the stray hairs that were still disheveled from his in-flight nap.

"All right! All right!" she said, "I just missed you so much Freddiebear! Oh—hello there Samantha," she said rather coldly, as she spotted Sam standing behind Freddie.

"Crazy" Sam nodded toward her in acknowledgement.

Freddie shot her an icy glare. "Mom, Sam is going to be riding with us. Carly and Spencer's flight is running late and Sam's mom is out of town" he said as he attempted to escape her grasp.

"Oh very well then, let's get your things and go. I need to be at the hospital early, I'm taking over Ellen's shift today, she's home sick with the flu this week.

Sam saw Freddie turn and wave goodbye to Brad before following his mom out the door. She stood there confused, what was going on, why was Freddie saying goodbye to Brad?

"Put your coat on dear, it's freezing out there" she heard Mrs. Benson tell Freddie.

"Wait!" Sam panicked grabbing Freddie's arm as he was pulling on his peacoat, "What about Brad?"

"What about him?" Freddie asked confused.

"Well…isn't he coming…with us?"

"No, his dad is picking him up. He'll drop by later tonight though, once Carly and Spencer arrive."

"Oh" she said as the cold realization set in of what had just happened. Sam had forgotten that Brad's parents lived in Seattle as well. Crazy Benson was heading off to work. Carly and Spencer wouldn't be in until later that evening. This meant one thing…she'd be spending the rest of the afternoon alone with Freddie, something she had managed to avoid quite nicely over the past year if she could help it.

"_Oh Fudge!"_ she muttered under her breath as she followed them out the doors.


	6. iHave Goat Number 3

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon.

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><p>It was a cloudy day, as were typical winter days in Seattle. As they drove toward Bushwell Plaza, Freddie couldn't help but steal a glance at Sam through the rearview mirror. She had been uncharacteristically quiet since they had left the airport. She'd been staring out the window lost in her own thoughts, thoughts he'd like to know about, thoughts she probably wouldn't share…at least not with him.<p>

It was a short car ride from the airport but Mrs. Benson only had time to drop them off in the lobby before rushing off to work. Freddie didn't know why he was so nervous about spending the afternoon with Sam; they had hung out alone without Carly plenty of times before. Then again, that was all before the lock-in fiasco.

They reached the 8th floor and made their way into his apartment. He set his bags down in his room, took a moment to take a deep breath before coming out to find Sam sitting at the table by the window,h her sketchbook in her lap. He couldn't help but stop for a moment to admire the sight before him. Her long golden locks flowed down her back. The fitted red wrap-around cashmere sweater and dark denim skinny jeans, tucked neatly into her tan mid-calf boots, hugged and accentuated every curve of her body. The small of her back peeked out as she leaned over to pull a box of drawing pencils out of her bag. It was an effortless beauty and it provided such a striking contrast against the cold and gray Seattle sky that Freddie had to remind himself to breathe again.

"I'll put your bags over in the closet until Carly gets here" he said to her once he was able to formulate a sentence again. She nodded and focused back on her drawing.

"Sooo…are you working on anything special there?" he asked motioning his head towards her sketchbook.

She looked up and quickly shut the book and said "No, not really. Just doodles." Freddie nodded; he could see that this was going to be awkward.

He looked around the room, scanning his brain for something they could do until Carly arrived, when an idea came to mind.

"Hey! I know…How about we go visit the old stomping grounds? I heard Ridgeway lets former students visit on the last day before winter break."

She looked up at him, an incredulous look on her face, "Really Benson? We just left school for 3 weeks and the best thing you can come up with for us to do is to go back to school? "

No, Freddie thought to himself, as a matter of fact at that moment he could actually think of a hundred different things he'd rather be doing with her but none of those answers would keep him alive. He blushed as he tried to shake the thoughts from his head, which was hard to do as she sat there staring at him with those bright blue piercing eyes.

"W-Well, no I just thought it could be fun maybe. It would send Mr. Howard into a tailspin if he saw Sam Puckett roaming the halls of Ridgeway again. I bet he's still looking for goat number 3!" he said as a smile crossed his face at the thought of Sam's senior prank.

"Ahh yes…goat number 3" she smiled widely now, lost in thought.

On the last day of their senior year, Sam had borrowed nine goats from one of her relatives. She painted a number on each goat from 1 thru 10, skipping the number 3. She then set them loose throughout different areas of the school. Teachers and staff members attempted to gather the goats and after hours of searching they had managed to lock goats 1,2,6,7 in the cafeteria and goats 4,5,8,9,10 in Mr. Howard's class. That was when they noticed goat number 3 was still missing. The only people to know that goat number 3 never existed were Sam, Freddie, and Carly. Mr. Howard became obsessed with finding number 3 and till this day whenever he heard any sound that resembled a bleat, he'd run out of his classroom in search of the mythical and legendary goat number 3.

"Allright! I'm convinced but if we are going there, we have to do this right" she said as she picked up her phone and started dialing.

"Ok…who are you calling?" he asked.

"My cousin Leroy, we're gonna get ourselves a goat" she said her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Freddie loved it when she smiled, you couldn't help but do the same, even when you knew she was up to no good.

"Ok! He's going to meet us a block away from the school so Howard doesn't spot us" she said animatedly as she pulled on her coat.

"Ok…So what's the plan after that?"

"I'll tell you on the way, C'mon!" she said tugging his arm and pulling him out the door.

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><p>Twenty minutes later, Sam and Freddie stood outside Ridgeway with one goat in hand. Leroy had draped a blanket over its back with a large "3" emblazoned on both sides. The school day had ended 30 minutes ago and a few students were straggling about. Teachers usually worked late that day making sure all paperwork was submitted before shutdown.<p>

Sam turned to face Freddie and asked, "Do you still have that animal app on your pearpod, the one with all the animal sounds?"

Freddie nodded.

"Ok, we need to get Howard out of his classroom so I can sneak the goat into his classroom. So you need to use your goat bleat on the app to lure him out" she explained.

Freddie nodded in understanding and took off. Soon enough Sam could hear Howard screaming through the halls in search of the bleat he thought was coming from a goat. Sam snuck in and quickly placed the goat in Howard's room. She noticed an apple and a Fat Cake sitting on his desk. She snatched the Fat Cake and handed the apple to the goat and then hid in the closet in the back of the room. She texted Freddie and told him everything was in place and to meet her outside.

Ten minutes later Sam saw Howard walk into the classroom and as he saw the goat he started screaming in victory. He had finally found it, he had found goat number 3…or so he thought. He ran outside the classroom, shutting the door behind him and went screaming down the hall to Principal Franklin's office.

"PRINCIPAL FRANKLIN! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND GOAT NUMBER THREE!" he shouted as he ran down the hall.

What a nub, Sam thought. She quickly took the goat and led him outside before Howard had a chance to return with the principal. She met up with Freddie in the courtyard and watched as Howard tried to explain to Principal Franklin that the goat had been standing there just a moment before.

"Mr. Howard, there is no goat number 3, we have searched every inch of the school and have found no trace, give this nonsense a rest. You may want to consider seeing a therapist over the break."

Principal Franklin walked out, leaving a dumbfounded Mr. Howard speaking to himself. "B-but he was here, I saw him, I heard him!"

Sam and Freddie fell to the floor in laughter, tears in their eyes.

"That was pretty ingenious there, Puckett" Freddie said to her as he caught his breath.

"Thank You! Thank you!" she said standing and taking a small bow, "You know, I might just have to do this every year now and really drive him crazy!"

They smiled at each other. Sam had forgotten how much she actually enjoyed spending time with Freddie. He was always up for a good prank when Carly wasn't around chastising them. It wasn't easy though, spending time with someone she cared for but having to pretend she could not care less. She was tired of it but at this point it was the only way. She just needed to make it past these 3 weeks and then she'd return to Rhode Island and keep herself busy with her projects and eventually these feelings would fade away, they had to.

She looked around, finally taking note of where they were standing. It was the same courtyard where she had kissed him during the lock-in. She hadn't been back here since that night. She felt the need to get out of there fast.

"Hey, can we go now? I'm getting kind of hungry" she said.

"Yeah, sure Sam, let's go" he answered, a distant look in his eyes.


	7. iDid Nothing

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, after returning goat number 3 to Sam's cousin, they found themselves at their usual table at the Groovy Smoothie. Sam was hungry, yet again, so they figured they had some time to kill until Carly and Spencer's arrival. Freddie stared blankly as Sam dipped her fries in her smoothie. He let himself drift away, lost in his thoughts—thoughts he had tried to bury in the deepest crevices of his mind.<p>

Thirty minutes ago he and Sam had been standing in the Ridgeway courtyard, the same courtyard he had once tried to convince other students he had seen a two-headed frog—the same courtyard where Sam had kissed him on a warm spring night a little over a year ago. It all began so fast and it ended even faster than it began. It was all so quick that he often wondered if the entire thing had been nothing but a figment of his own imagination. Sam's behavior after the incident certainly made it seem like he had fabricated it in his mind. No, he thought, a year and a half ago he would never, not even in his wildest dreams, have been able to dream that one up, no matter how hard he tried. However, now it was the only memory he couldn't seem to rid himself of. It was still vividly clear in his mind and it was on constant replay.

Carly had spent the entire night urging Sam to make a move…on Brad that is. She had even dragged him into the middle of it by convincing him to help her get Sam alone with Brad, thus was born the two-headed frog. Sam had not been impressed by their plan though and once Freddie had heard about her spat with Carly over it, he knew that it was his turn to try and reason with her. As much as he and Sam argued, it was usually inconsequential in nature—just nonsense. On the inside he truly did care about her, they were friends, and her happiness was just as important to him as Carly's. Even though Carly's meddling could be annoying, she was right that time, Sam deserved to be with a good guy.

He found her in the courtyard and he couldn't remember if he had ever seen her so upset, at least not like this. Usually when Sam got upset she would just get angry and violent, this time she just looked defeated. As he tried broaching the subject with her, the walls went up and her defenses kicked in but he wasn't about to back down, not this time. He was only a foot away from her when she grabbed his shoulders and kissed him and to his surprise continued to do so. What had he done? Absolutely nothing! This was the thought that antagonized him day in and day out since that night.

As she kissed him, he had tried to rationalize what was happening. Sam was kissing him. Sam was _kissing HIM_! But why and what did it all mean? The only thing he should have thought to do was to grab her by the waist, kiss her back, and never let go. He took too long to react because she could see that he hadn't reciprocated the action and pulled away. She apologized to him and walked away. His heart had told him to stop her before she walked away but instead he just stood frozen in place, unable to form one coherent phrase. It was this paralysis that left him living in the world of what-ifs and if-onlys for the past year and a half. Just like that, with the same suddenness that the opportunity materialized before him, it had vanished into thin air right before his eyes. "_Sorry—that was a mistake, I'm sorry"_ were her words that resounded in his head. By the time he had been able to speak and call after her, she was long gone.

Carly, who had seen it all happening from inside had been just as stunned as she ran outside to speak to him. "What was that!" she asked him. All he could say was that he didn't know what had happened. There were two things he knew for sure though: 1. He liked everything about that kiss and 2. He was a total and complete nub for letting her get away.

For weeks following the kiss, he had attempted to talk to Sam, aggravating her to the nth degree. She had told him it was an accident, to move on, and forget about it. A month later, she certainly seemed to have forgotten it had ever happened as she was back to dating her usual slew of craptastic guys. That was when he figured that the kiss really had meant nothing to her. He was nothing like the guys she dated and he never would be. The kiss was nothing but a lapse in her judgment and she had walked away from it just as easily as she has walked away from their first kiss.

Freddie had become so deeply absorbed in these thoughts that he hadn't noticed T-Bo calling his name, trying to sell what appeared to be gingerbread cookies on a stick. He snapped back to the present, only in time to catch T-Bo walking away grumbling something about "fancy schools" and being "too good for cookies on a stick."

Freddie sighed and looked to Sam and asked "What's his problem?"

"Well he's only been trying to talk to you for the past three minutes. Did you finally learn to sleep with your eyes open? Because your eyes just glazed over, kinda like the look I get when I think of Bolivian bacon" she replied, still deeply engrossed in her fries and smoothie.

"Oh, yeah well I learned from the best" he said absently as he tried to force a smile.

She smiled, evidently proud of the technique she had mastered during their senior year.

As he watched her, he realized there was only one problem with the kiss. It awoke something inside him he hadn't realized was there. Somewhere between their first kiss and all their squabbling, he had developed feelings for her. Feelings he didn't know he had until her saw her walking away from him that night at the lock-in. They were feelings that had gone unanswered and that needed to be done away with, one way or another.

By the time they had finished their meal it was already 6:30 and Carly and Spencer would soon be home. As they left the Groovy Smooth another uncomfortable silence washed over them. All of a sudden, breaking the silence, a loud thunderclap from the gray sky above startled the pair. There was another crack and they soon found themselves drenched in the cold Seattle rain. Without another word they began their sprint back to Bushwell plaza.


	8. iInterrupt

_Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon_

* * *

><p>The rain came down fast and it was only a ten minute jog between the Groovy Smoothie and Bushwell Plaza but it was long enough to soak Sam and Freddie from head to toe. They now stood in the lobby of Bushwell Plaza waiting for the elevator.<p>

They heard Lewbert's voice from the storage room; he was complaining about people dripping water all over his floor. Neither Sam nor Freddie felt like dealing with Lewbert's theatrics at the moment and they looked at each other in understanding and made a dash for the stairwell. They reached it just in time to hear the piercing scream they had been expecting.

Once they reached the 8th floor, they stopped for a moment to catch their breath, both shivering from the cold rain. Freddie unlocked the door and they both fell into his apartment letting the warmth embrace them. Sam had never thought of Freddie's house as cozy but clinical. Right now however, she couldn't think of a warmer and more inviting place to be.

"Hang on, I'll go get us some towels" Freddie said as Sam waited by the doorway, dripping on the floor mat.

A minute later he returned with two towels fresh out of the dryer

"C'mon you can use my bathroom to change into some dry clothes and I'll throw our wet ones in the dryer" he said leading her to his bathroom.

Sam made her way into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her, and quickly stripped off the cold wet clothing and dried herself off. She suddenly remembered that she hadn't grabbed her clothes and that Freddie had stored her bags in the hallway closet. She cursed under her breath and wrapped the towel around her body, opened the door, and let out a small gasp at the sight in front of her. Before her eyes stood a very shirtless Freddie, correction—a very gorgeous shirtless Freddie. She had often wondered what it would be like to see him this way but was hardly prepared for what she had just encountered. He had changed into a pair of sweatpants and was digging into his drawers looking for a T-shirt when he heard Sam open the door. She bit down on her bottom lip, positive he could see the blush that had suddenly come over her face.

"Sorry, I forgot my bags are still in the closet…" she started.

He seemed just as stunned by the view he got of her and after a long pause he reacted, "Oh…right! I'll go get them for you!"

He grabbed a shirt and made his way over to the hall, when the doorbell rang. He took a detour and headed toward the door, pulling on his t-shirt as he opened it.

Standing at the door was Carly. She looked perfect, as always, a huge smile on her face.

"Freddie!" she squealed hugging him as she stepped over the threshold into his apartment. Sam couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy as she watched her two friends embrace. She knew very well that there was nothing between them; he had long gotten over his crush on Carly and had actually been helping Carly get connected with Brad lately. Her envy stemmed from the fact that she wished her relationship with Freddie was less convoluted and that she could show him the same kind of affection that Carly did. She took a deep breath and waited for what would come next, wishing she had her clothes now!

"I've missed you all so much!" she spoke animatedly and in one breath "Your hair is soaked! Did you just get out of the shower? Where's Sa—OH!" she stopped in mid-sentence, a wide all-knowing smile on her face, as she spotted Sam wrapped in the bath towel in Freddie's bedroom doorway. Sam knew instantly that this grin was going to be of no good to her.

"I'm sorry! Am I interrupting something?" she asked, a Cheshire Cat grin now replacing the smile that was there before.

Sam's eyes widened and she could feel the heat rising to her face. She stole a glance at Freddie who had also managed to turn all shades of crimson in 30-seconds. Oh Carly Shay, she thought, you will definitely pay!

Freddie was the first to speak up, his voice faltering a little, "We got caught in the storm on our way home from the Groovy Smoothie and we were just changing when you knocked."

"Oh" she said, disappointment dripping in her tone, "Well come on over once you guys are ready….oh but no rush! Take your time" she added with a coy smile as she closed the door behind her.

Neither Sam nor Freddie moved for another minute after Carly's departure. Freddie just stared at the door and Sam closed her eyes thinking of all the ways Carly would pay for that little episode. After another minute of silence, Freddie was the first to speak.

"Well…that would be Carly Shay for you!"

Sam shook her head and rolled her eyes and all she could muster up was "Yep."

"So, I guess I'll get you your bag now" he said and headed toward the closet and then handed it to Sam who didn't say another word.

Freddie then took their wet clothing and threw it in the dryer and told Sam he'd bring it to her once it was done. She went to the bathroom and finished getting dressed and came out to find Freddie sitting on his couch, his face buried in his hands.

"Ok, well I guess I'll be heading on over to Carly's now, you coming?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'll be over in a bit, I've just got some things I need to do here first" he replied, standing up and walking towards the door.

Sam nodded and grabbed her bags as Freddie opened the door for her.

"Later" she said looking up at him slightly.

"I'll see you in a bit...oh and hey Sam, this afternoon was fun" he said giving her a small smile.

She nodded and smiled back and then crossed the hall and made her way into the Shay apartment.


	9. iCarlotta

_Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider._

* * *

><p>Sam stormed into the Shay apartment without knocking and slammed the door behind her. She looked around for the perky brunette who had just finished embarrassing the living lights out of her but the downstairs area was empty.<p>

"CARLOTTA SHAY!" she yelled but only met silence.

She figured Carly must be in her room unpacking and so she stomped up the staircase to the second floor. She could now hear Carly's voice and as she walked in she saw Brad's face plastered over the mirror/TV/computer monitor, a goofy smile on his face. Carly was deeply absorbed in this conversation, a little bit nervous as she twirled a strand of her long chestnut hair in her fingers. The two of them were pretty perfect for one another she thought, but unfortunately for Carly, her little stunt at Freddie's meant that this little lovebird conversation was coming to an abrupt end.

"Hey! Sam!" Brad smiled waving as he noticed her walk into the background now.

"Hey Brad! Guess what, Carly has to go now! Bye Brad!" Sam responded hitting the logoff button on Carly's desk.

"SAM! Hey! What the—" Carly began to protest but to no avail.

"Oh no! Don't '_SAM!_' me Shay! You're the one in trouble here! What was up with that chiz!" Sam yelled.

"Me? What do you mean! What did I do?" she asked innocently.

"No No No…don't give me that Carly Shay doe-in-the-headlights look! You know very well what you did!

Carly stared blankly at Sam.

"Ugh! Let me refresh your memory. '_Oh I'm sorry! Am I interrupting something_?' or maybe it was the '_Come on over once you guys are ready….oh but no rush! Take your time_.'" Sam said coldly as she mimicked Carly's voice from moments before.

A shameless smile crept over Carly's face now, "Oh…that!"

"Yeah! THAT! What were you thinking!" Sam exploded.

"Oh come on now Sam! I was only thinking what any other person in this world would think! I knock on the door to find a very shirtless Freddie, did you see those abs by the way!—but yes a very shirtless Freddie quickly pulling on a shirt. Then I walk in to see you standing in his bedroom doorway in nothing but a towel! Even you have to admit it would look like something else was going on…especially with all that tension that's been building up since the loc—."

"CARLY! It's not like that ok! Can you just drop that whole idea you have in your head about me and Freddie? Please!" Sam pleaded with her best friend.

Carly opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she saw Sam's face. Sam never pleaded and now she just looked so tired and defeated, so Carly nodded in resignation.

"Sam, I'm sorry…really! I didn't mean to upset you, you know that! I just want you to be happy and Freddie too. And as much as you two constantly bicker and argue, you have fun with one another. You make each other happy whether you want to believe it or not."

Sam felt her throat clench at her friend's sincere words. Of course she and Freddie could get along when they wanted to, but that didn't mean they were meant to be together. It was better to keep things the way they were; less complicated and no emotions to get in the way. When things went bad with Freddie, which inevitably they would, he would leave and she wasn't sure she would ever be ready for that. Although she always seemed tough, when it came to matters of the heart Sam was quite fragile. She wasn't sure she even knew what being in love meant. Carly made it seem so easy, she was always in love. But Sam wasn't Carly and so she couldn't just take this risk on just a hunch that maybe she and Freddie would be happy together.

Sam simply nodded at her friend's apology, unable to form words.

"I have an idea!" Carly began, "Why don't we go downstairs and you can raid the fridge and update me on your last few days of the semester!"

"Now that sounds like a plan!" Sam said as her eyes brightened.

* * *

><p>Given the expression on her face when she left his apartment, Freddie was pretty certain that Sam was ready to give Carly a piece of her mind. He figured he would lag behind a bit and give them a chance to talk before he headed over.<p>

He sat on his couch, face buried in his hands, listening as the clock on the wall ticked away the seconds. He could still feel the heat in his face from where blood had flooded his cheeks at Carly's suggestive words just moments ago.

He didn't know how or when but he knew that someway somehow he would need to confront Sam about his feelings before this break was over. He was determined to show her he was in this 100% of the way.

He looked up at the clock, half an hour had gone by since Sam had left. This was probably enough time for Sam to have had her chat with Carly.

After changing into a pair of jeans and pulling on his red and gray MIT jacket, Freddie crossed the hall over to the Shay apartment. He knocked on the door but didn't wait for an answer as he walked in.

"Yo…Yo!" he said walking in. Sam gave him a funny look as he said this. The words sounded familiar to him but he couldn't remember why.

"Hey Freddie! Come on in! Sam was just about to tell me about her semester at RISD." Carly said motioning him towards the couch where they were sitting.

"Sam and schoolwork…this should be good" he joked.

Sam stuck her tongue out at him, "FYI, Mama here just so happened to get high marks and praise on her design review, Thank you very much!"

"Oh very impressive, Ms. Puckett" he said smiling at her.

"Oh! So how are things with Eric?" Carly asked "Are you two playing nice?"

Eric? Who was Eric and why had he not heard of this person before? Was Sam dating someone back east? Freddie shifted uncomfortably in his seat at this thought.

"Oh Eric," Sam said with a smile on her face "I think he'll be playing nice from now on."

"Who's Eric?" Freddie tried asking nonchalantly, his voice faltering giving him away, and he earned himself a curious look from Carly.

"He's the ubernub. 10 times the nub you ever were" she responded casually.

"Oh" he said as a pang of jealousy washed over him. As much as he enjoyed that she no longer thought of him as the king of nubs, he always thought that her teasing him was their special thing, their way of bonding. To think that she could be having this same kind of relationship with another guy made him uneasy.

He caught Carly's stare again. He knew she'd be drilling him about this later.

"Hey where's Spencer?" he asked attempting to change the subject and relieved when it actually worked.

"Oh, he ran off to Socko's as soon as we got back. Apparently he's planning another Christmas extravaganza! I just hope he doesn't set the apartment on fire…again" she responded.

"Not likely" Sam and Freddie said in unison and laughed at this all too common occurrence between them.

"Sooo… how about we watch some movies here tonight?" Sam asked Carly.

"Sounds good, we'll pick out two and see if we can make it through them" Carly replied.

Over the next half hour the three of them argued over what movies to watch. After finally coming to an agreement the three of them settled in front of the TV for what Freddie thought would be a long night of chick flicks.


	10. iSay Goodnight

_Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider._

* * *

><p>It was almost midnight and Sam, Carly, and Freddie had made it through one movie and were a quarter of the way into the second but Sam was already passed out on the couch as Freddie plopped down beside her. He looked up to see Carly eyeing him carefully, knowing she was ready to pounce with questions any second now.<p>

"So Freddie" she began innocently, using the same tone she used the time she found out he and Sam had shared their first kiss and wanted to know if they had enjoyed it.

"So Carly," he countered pretending not to notice her insinuating tone.

"Judging by your reaction earlier it seems like you'd never heard of Eric before" she finished.

"You're right, I haven't. What's your point" he said slightly annoyed through gritted teeth.

"I don't know. You just seemed a little bothered by it, almost like you were jealous? Maybe?"

"No, I just—Carly!"

He wished she could just learn to let things go. She tried getting in the middle of it after the kiss at the lock-in until Sam threatened to quit iCarly and actually did for a period when Carly wouldn't drop the subject. He never really told Carly how he felt about Sam but figured that she had seen enough and watched them enough over the past year to know.

Sam shifted on the couch and both Carly and Freddie fell silent.

"Look I hate to cut your Cupid Matchmaking session short but I have to go now, my mom will be home soon and it has been a long day" he said as he got up, relieved at a chance to escape her interrogation.

"Fine! But if you think this conversation is over, you are sorely mistaken!"

"Yeah, sure it isn't," he said rolling his eyes as he headed toward the door.

"Wait! Before you leave, can you help me get Sam upstairs!" she asked.

"WHAT! WHY! She always sleeps on your couch anyway!" he said, his head spinning clearly not enthused by Carly's scheming.

"Because! Spencer thought it would be nice to give Sam her own space while she is here. So he redesigned the studio space upstairs and set up a guest room!"

"Can't you just push her into the elevator, send her up, and then drag her into bed? It's not like she will wake up anyway, she's out like a log!" he countered defiantly.

"FREDDIE!" she hissed in protest but he wouldn't give in.

Then she did what Carly Shay did best and turned on her big brown-eyed puppy dog stare, "Pleeaasse? For me?"

"Ha! Nice try Shay but those big browns won't work on me anymore!"

She thought it over a minute and then gave him the same look but this time said, "For Sam then? Please?"

He stood there trying to fight the urge to give in but his heart got the best of him when he saw how uncomfortable she looked on the couch.

"Fine! But if she gets mad at me—"

"Oh Hush! You said so yourself, she out like a log" Carly said cutting him off.

He walked back to the couch and took in a deep breath. As much as he longed for moments that he could be this close to her, he could already imagine the wrath he would face if she woke up and found herself in his arms.

He leaned over and picked her up from the couch, cradling her against his chest, her legs draped over his arm and her head leaned on his shoulder. Her curves fit perfectly into his arms. He smiled down at her letting himself enjoy the moment. It was rare to see a time when they could be this close to one another without her finding the need to pound his face in. She was crazy, he thought, but he liked that about her, she was a challenge.

He made his way over to the elevator and stepped in waiting for Carly.

"Oh, go on up," she said as she saw him waiting, "I'm going to grab her bags and take them up."

He nodded and pressed the elevator button and the elevator made its way up to the 3rd floor. As the door opened, a cold draft of air filled the space around them and he felt Sam nestle her face into his chest. He could feel goosebumps on her arm, she was cold. She hadn't bothered putting on a jacket when she left his house earlier that evening, just a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. As he stepped out of the elevator, a feeling of nostalgia washed over him when he came upon the former iCarly studio which was now home to a new bedroom.

Freddie looked around the room. Spencer had done an amazing job transforming the old studio into a room for Sam. It was almost as impressive as Carly's room. Remnants of old props from the show and pictures were spread around the room or framed on the walls. The car seat couch could still be seen in its niche on the side wall with the flat screen TV hanging just above it. The center of the room where Carly and Sam took the stage so many times and where they often plopped down on beanbags to plan iCarly episodes was now replaced with a large beige and dark brown microfiber sectional with two espresso-finished side tables and a coffee table in the center. Small sculptures (obviously created by Spencer himself) rested on the side tables.

Freddie walked over to the bed, following the path created by the tiny paper lanterns that hung above from the rafters, gently lighting the room like stars on a clear summer night's sky. A queen-sized platform bed that matched the finish of the side tables in the TV area was centered at the window in the backend of the room. The bedspread, an eggplant colored silk with beige cherry blossoms embroidered in the middle, was neatly tucked under the mattress. It was a modern design for the room yet it still felt comfy and cozy; there was an at-home feel about it that Freddie liked. It really was incredible what Spencer could create when he wasn't setting the apartment on fire, he thought.

He set Sam down gently on the bed, realizing it was still quite chilly in the room. He walked over to the thermostat and kicked the temperature up a few degrees and then scanned the room for a blanket. He spotted a throw on one of the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that served as the partition between the sleeping area and the lounge area of the bedroom. It was a small blanket but it was enough to cover her from the waist down. He then pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her for some additional warmth.

Freddie stared at her sleeping peacefully and before he could stop himself, he leaned down and gave her a soft and gentle kiss on the forehead and whispered "Goodnight Princess Puckett."

He turned to leave when he noticed Carly at the doorway beaming; a wide grin between her ears. Great, he thought, busted.

"Awww! Freddie!" She jumped around excitedly.

"Carly, not tonight ok?" he said. He was tired and he had to think about what to say to Sam when the time came and try to get Carly to curb her enthusiasm.

"Okay! But we're gonna talk about this at some point right?" she begged.

"Okay, yes. Geez! Brad really needs to come over already so you can focus on him instead of us! Goodnight" he said as he walked out the door.

"Goodnight!" Carly said still jumping around excitedly.

Freddie headed back home and got ready for bed, wondering what the next few days held in store.


	11. iHeart Pie

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon

* * *

><p>When Sam woke up the next day, it took her a full five or ten minutes to figure out where she was. At first she thought she had been dreaming when she found herself in what appeared to once have been the iCarly studio. Not knowing where she was, she closed her eyes and pinched her arm to wake up but upon opening them she found she was still in this same room. She closed her eyes once more and searched the crevices of her brain for an explanation.<p>

Sure she often fell asleep in strange places but usually she remembered it and usually she found that she would wake in the same place she had fallen asleep in. All she could remember now was dozing off during the movie night with Carly and Freddie. Suddenly the light bulb flashed on in her head and she vaguely recalled Carly mentioning Spencer's summer remodeling project.

_Ok,_ she thought, _I know where I am but how in the world did I get up here?_

She heard a loud growl erupt from the depths of her stomach and looked to the clock that was ticking on the wall, it was already noon. Figuring that satiating her appetite was more important than figuring out how she made it upstairs, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and made her way downstairs, hoping she'd fine the same snack-filled kitchen that was there the night before.

"Ahh so she lives!" she heard Spencer's voice as she made her way into the kitchen.

" 'Sup Spence?" she greeted making a beeline toward the fridge.

"Sam Puckett maxing out the food supply…yup just like old times!" he said more to himself than anyone else really.

"What are you working on there?" Sam asked noticing Spencer busying over a pile of what she would call junk but knowing Spencer it was probably treasure troves of art.

"Can't tell you! I want to keep you all in what I would like to call SUSPENSER!" he said energetically and chuckled at what he thought was a clever play on words. When Sam didn't laugh he tried to explain, "Don't you get it? Suspense….SuSPENSER!"

"Yeah I got it the first time around, not that funny" she answered bluntly rolling her eyes at him.

"Well now, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today!" he replied, offended at her lack of enthusiasm over his brilliant wit.

"Right, so if you can't tell me what you're up to, how about you tell me where I can find one Carly Shay?"

"She went to pick up some lunch for us at the Groovy Smoothie. I think she invited Freddie, Brad, and Gibby over too. She should be back soon."

"Ok. Cool Beans! I guess I'll go wash up then and leave you to your little project."

"Hey! It is not little, it's going to be an extravaganza!" he shouted and laughed like a mad scientist who just brought his creation to life.

When she walked into the bathroom she finally took note of herself in the mirror. She instantly caught sight of the oversized jacket than hung on her shoulders. Her heart pounded slightly faster than usual in her chest, she had seen this jacket before; in fact she had seen it last night. It was cardinal read with gray letters embroidered across the chest, the letters read M.I.T., it was Freddie's jacket. The question now was why did she have it?

She now realized that his scent was all over the jacket. She could drown herself in his scent; it was clean, musky and manly but not overpowering. Not letting herself get too attached she quickly pulled it off. She made a mental note to return it to him when she saw him later that afternoon.

Sam took a long warm shower and tried to wash away thoughts of him. She didn't want to think of how often she'd have to be around him for the next few weeks. After showering, she pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans, a gray and white layering shirt, and a fitted cropped black cardigan. She dug through her luggage and pulled at a pair of pointed taupe flats to complete the ensemble. She looked herself over once in the mirror and took in another deep breath. Her fashion sense had definitely improved over the past year, or so she thought, although she didn't take nearly half as long as Carly at primping. She loosened her hair from its ponytail and let her long curls frame her face. She turned out of the bathroom and headed back downstairs hoping Carly would have made it back with food already.

Sam headed down just in time to catch Carly making her way through the door, he arms loaded with bags from the Groovy Smoothie.

"What's up kid? Bring me some grub?" she asked rubbing her belly as she attempted to peek into the bags.

"Hey! I see you're finally up! You really knocked yourself out last night!"

"Yeah! Funny thing is, I can't remember how I got upstairs! I wonder if I've started sleepwalking. I'm usually half asleep when I walk to class back in Providence, so it wouldn't be that surprising."

"Oh, no you weren't sleepwalking. I just had Freddie carry you upstairs" she replied nonchalantly, slapping Sam's hand away from a bag of fries.

Sam froze. "Come again? You had Freddie do what?"

"I had him carry you upstairs" she said again.

"Why would you ever have him do that? Couldn't you just shove me in the elevator and drag me to the bed?"

Sam saw Carly smile at these words. "Funny, he said the exact same thing. Look, relax will ya? Don't freak out on me! I just asked him to carry you up. It's not like I can carry you myself and I left you sleeping down here, Spencer would have woken you up at the crack of dawn with all the clinging and clatters of his Christmas surprise!"

"Oh" Sam said relaxing her shoulders slightly.

"But you know," Carly continued carefully "it was all very sweet and something about it was just so romantic. You should have seen him tucking you in and putting his jacket around you to keep you warm because you were cold!"

Sam felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach. That explained where the sweater came from she thought to herself. Sam watched Carly's face that was entranced in thoughts about a prince charming with romantic and grand gestures. She could already see that the person she'd have to worry about seeing this break wasn't Freddie but Carly. The girl just couldn't keep her mouth shut about her and Freddie.

"You know what Shay" Sam raised her voice slightly irritated, "What goes around, comes around!"

"Oh well I hope that's the truth. I'd be more than happy to have some of that come my way! To have a guy I like do for me what Freddie does for you!"

Carly sighed as her eye glazed over dreamily again.

"Carly!" she said snapping her fingers in front of her best friend's face to wake her from her daydream, "Let's be real! We don't live in one of those sappy chick flicks you love. Those are just idealized versions of what people think love ought to be. Love is messy and at times painful. It's not always filled with flowers and heart-shaped boxes! Those grand gestures and displays that you keep playing out in your head, that's not real, people don't do that! Real love is in the small things, in the details. What you keep saying that you see between me and Freddie, that's just you seeing what you want to see!"

She ended her speech by quickly snatching a fry pod from the bag before Carly had a chance to stop her.

"Hey! That's for lunch" she protested attempting to snatch it back from Sam.

"Consider it payment for dealing with all your scheming and unfiltered thoughts since I have arrived!"

"Fine! But if this is payment then that means I am entitled to all the thoughts I want. And if you think for a second that Freddie doesn't know the little things that make you…"

"She was cut off by the sound of the door opening, it was Freddie. Sam shot Carly a warning glare to indicate that this conversation was now over.

"Hey! What goes on?" he said walking into the kitchen, a large blue box in his hands. "Guess what I have in this here box?"

Sam took a step closer to him and after a few seconds she answered "Six coconut crème pies from Gallini's…no wait! Seven pies, one is triple chocolate!"

Freddie stared at her dumbfounded. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Mama's nose knows Gallini's!" she said smiling proudly tapping her nose and then attempted to snatch the box from his hands.

"Nice try!" he said lifting the box above his head and out of her reach, "There are for after lunch!"

"Oh come on now Freddie. This is Sam we are talking about, how long do you think you'll be able to keep her away from that box? She'll make it in there before I'm even done setting the table for lunch!" Carly said.

"Yeah, I figured as much" he said smiling at Sam and pulled out the triple chocolate pie from the bakery box "which is why I brought seven. Since I know how much trouble she has picking between coconut crème and triple chocolate, I brought her one of each. One she can have before lunch and the other she can eat with the rest of us during dessert!"

The intensity of his gaze upon her made her blush slightly. She looked at him and gave him a half-smile. Although she didn't want to, she turned to look at Carly, who had a smile of pure satisfaction on her face, her eyes clearly screaming "Ha! I told you so!"

Sam tried to shake off the sudden butterflies in her stomach telling herself to quit being so ridiculous. Just because the nerd brought her pie didn't mean anything. He had brought her food on countless occasions, what made Carly think this was any different.

"Well that was thoughtful of you Freddie to bring S—" Carly chimed in but Sam shot her another warning glare.

"—To bring us all pies for dessert you know!" she finished smoothly after catching Sam's glare.

"Oh…Yeah...not a problem" he said with his eyes still fixed on Sam.


	12. iCan't Believe It's a Gibby

_Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider._

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><p>The doorbell rang stealing Freddie's gaze away from Sam.<p>

"I'll get it," he volunteered as Carly was busy setting the table and Sam was busy lost in pie. He was almost to the door when he felt the wind suddenly knocked out of him as he made contact with the floor.

"Please let that be my delivery package!" he could hear Spencer scream maniacally, as he raced toward the door.

"Spencer!" Carly exclaimed widening her eyes at her brother who seemed utterly uncontrollable today.

Carly ran over to help Freddie up from the floor as Spencer opened the door.

"Oh, it's just you. Hi Gibby," Spencer said, disappointment saturating his voice.

"Gee, nice to see you too Spence!" an obviously offended Gibby responded.

As Gibby stepped into the loft, the reactions of shock washed over all of them at once. Carly, who had been helping Freddie up, now dropped him back down, along with her jaw.

"Dude!" Freddie cried out in annoyance but received no acknowledgement or apology.

He looked up to see that Gibby, who had now stepped into the living room, had taken off his coat and happened to be wearing nothing underneath, in classic Gibby fashion. What was not classic however was the sight of the Gibby before them. This was not the same Gibby they had parted ways with in the spring. This Gibby was over half a foot taller and all muscle. The belly that once jiggled like jelly was firmed into a well-defined six-pack.

Carly stood frozen in place, her mouth agape. Freddie then shifted his gaze over to Sam whose eyes were wide and jaw dropped as well; a slice of pie rested on her fork completely forgotten.

Freddie did have to admit that this was not the Gibby he was expecting to see. He knew that Gibby had been recruited to play football in Florida but he had no idea he had undergone such a transformation in so little time.

"Gibby? Is that you?" Carly asked blinking her eyes a few time, making sure he eyes were not deceiving her.

"Hey guys! What's going on?" he asked oblivious to the shock that he caused his friends.

Figuring no one was going to help him up, Freddie lifted himself off the floor, rubbing the back of his head which was now sore and probably contused. The girls were still frozen in place.

'_For the love of Galaxy Wars, this is like Cort all over again!'_ he thought.

"So Gibby, how's Florida treating you?" Freddie asked deciding to break the spell of silence that had fallen over them.

"Oh man! It is awesome! It's like hot all the time! I never have to wear a shirt and people totally get it! It's the middle of December and it was 80 degrees down there! I love Florida!" he said excitedly.

"I love Florida too!" Carly said breathlessly, not taking her eyes off Gibby.

Freddie rolled his eyes.

"Well its 20 degrees here so putting on a shirt wouldn't hurt" Freddie muttered under his breath getting a dirty look from Carly.

"Don't be silly Freddie! We love Gibby just the way he is! No shirt and all!" she said shoving past him toward Gibby, throwing her arms around him in a hug.

Freddie looked back at Sam, whose expression hadn't changed much except now she appeared slightly disturbed at Carly fawning over Gibby. As if realizing that she had been neglecting her pie over Gibby's sake, she quickly returned to her triple chocolate.

Carly and Gibby were now seated on the couch as Carly flooded him with questions about school and football, like she even cared about sports. He sighed and shook his head, this would make Brad's arrival pretty interesting he thought. Seeing that Carly wanted Gibby all to herself right now, Freddie wandered over to Sam at the kitchen counter.

"So is it just me or is this slightly disturbing to watch?" he asked her motioning his head in the direction of Carly and Gibby.

"Oh, it's disturbing all right! Sure the boy looks as good as a slice of Bolivian bacon but it's still a Gibby at the end of the day!"

Freddie laughed at this but inside he wasn't sure how he felt about that statement. She had just compared Gibby to Bolivian bacon, her all time favorite kind of bacon. Then again she had said Gibby was still a Gibby and that seemed to be of no interest to her.

The tug-o-war he had going on in his head must have been clearly written on his face because Sam spoke up.

"What's wrong Fredward? Jealous? Afraid Giblet is going to snatch away your girl?" she teased, not looking him in the eye.

"She is not my girl. And no I am not jealous," he emphasized. And he wasn't, not about Carly anyway. Sam raised her eyebrows in disbelief and turned back to the computer screen.

"Holy Ham!" she shouted excitedly, "The Cookie Castle is having a gingerbread house challenge. It says that teams of two will compete to create the best gingerbread house and the winning team will receive a Dikon DSLR camera! Ohh I could so use one to put my portfolio together!"

"That sounds pretty cool. What else does it say?" he asked pulling a stool up beside her.

"There is an entry fee of either $15 per team or a new and unused teddy bear per person. All collections will be donated to Teddies for Tots, a nonprofit organization that collects teddy bears for children in need. The contest is tomorrow night at the Cookie Castle. It starts at 6pm and contestants will have up to 6 hours to complete their houses. The store will provide the materials listed below but we are welcome to bring any items we feel we may need. Finally the entire structure must be edible or else your team is disqualified," she said taking a deep breath as she finished.

Freddie thought for a moment. This would be the perfect way for him to get to spend some extra time with her without any awkwardness. Plus if he could help her win that camera then maybe she'd hate him a little less. Now he just needed to figure a way to convince her that he'd be the perfect partner for her. Seeing the opportunity before him he decided to speak up.

"You know, I think you and I could make a pretty good team for this. I mean, you are going to be an architect someday, and I know you've got some really awesome drawings in that sketchbook of yours so I'm sure you could design a top-notch gingerbread house! And as a future engineer, I could help you figure out what is structurally sound and if it will hold together. Between the two of us, I bet we could win you that camera!" he said trying to give her the most logical explanation.

"You want to help me win?" she asked him incredulously.

"Well…yeah…it sounds like a fun contest. Just what you need to bring in some good Christmas cheer!"

"I guess that would work out well," she said slowly "I mean we've seen Carly's artistic talents, or lack thereof. Remember her part-time volunteer fireman bunny?"

"Exactly!" he said laughing now.

"I guess after lunch I'll start working on some sketches and once I'm done you can come help me figure out which edible items will work best?"

"Yeah, that sounds perfect!" he couldn't help but smile at her, "We can also tell everyone about it at lunch and see if they want to form their own teams as well."

"Yeah ok cool," she said smiling back.

Carly was so mesmerized by Gibby that she completely missed out on this conversation for which Freddie was thankful.

Suddenly there was another knock at the door. He and Sam looked at each other, a knowing look on their faces. It was probably Brad and Carly was still gushing over Gibby.

"I think I should get the door," he said when Carly made no move to do so herself.

"Look both ways for rampant Spencer's running around!" Sam said giggling.

"Ha. Ha," he said looking back at her, not entirely amused, his head was still sore from it all.

Before another word could escape his mouth, he was down on the floor, trampled once again by Spencer. He could hear Sam giggling once again in the background. He closed his eyes waiting for the room to stop spinning. When he opened them he found two big bright blue piercing eyes looking down at him. Long blond curls framed the face that stood over him smiling.

"I told you to look both ways!" she teased again laughing, giving him her hand and helping him up.

"What is up with these Shays!" he said frowning at Spencer.

"Hey Brad," they heard Spencer greet in the same tone he had used with Gibby and he walked back to his room.

Sam and Freddie looked to Carly whose eyes widened as she snapped back to reality.

"Oh, this is going to be good!" Freddie whispered in Sam's ear.

"Most definitely!" she replied trying to suppress a laugh.


	13. iShouldn't Have Said That

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon.

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><p>Lunch could have been more awkward than it was, Sam thought. Oh who was she kidding, it was about as awkward as could be. Carly had definitely put herself in the hot seat this time. Yes, Carly was her best friend but she couldn't help but chuckle to herself a little as she watched Carly squirm in her seat between Brad and Gibby. The only saving grace was that Gibby was entirely clueless about the tension at the table. Brad however who had walked in to find Carly chatting up a very shirtless and very buff Gibby was not as fortunate to be so clueless by any means. He was a nice guy and polite so he said hello to everyone but pretty much avoided Carly all through lunch. Sam felt a little bit sorry for him.<p>

During lunch Sam and Freddie tried to lighten the mood and announced their plans to compete in the gingerbread house challenge but soon realized what a horrible idea it was. Spencer claimed to be too busy with his own Christmas project while Carly wanted to avoid the topic altogether when the subject of partners arose.

"I could be your partner Sam!" she tried hoping Sam would come to her rescue and get her out of this current conundrum.

"Sorry kid, but I really need that camera" Sam replied, dipping a fry in her milkshake and eating it in one bite.

After lunch, Brad almost immediately rose from the table saying that he had to run. Carly tried asking him to stay longer and wait for dessert but he claimed to have family matters to take care of, leaving a dejected Carly standing at the door. After realizing that Brad wasn't coming back she plopped down on the couch pouting.

"So since Brad didn't want his pie, can I have it? I love pie!" Gibby remarked.

"Gibby!" Carly hissed with thinly veiled annoyance.

"Yeesh! Sorry! I gotta run but I'll see you guys later. Thanks for lunch!" he said running out quickly before Carly's wrath got any worse.

"Later, Gib!" Freddie said as their friend departed.

Sam and Freddie finished cleaning off the pie from their plates and noticed Carly brooding on the couch. Sam turned to Freddie and nodded her head in Carly's direction. Freddie returned the same gesture to Sam with raised her eyebrows as if to say "This is a girl thing, you talk to her!" With a sigh, Sam walked over and sat on the coffee table across from Carly.

""What's wrong Carls?" Sam asked bracing herself for the outburst that would surely ensue.

"I'm just so confused! I thought I was so sure about Brad and everything was going great until Gibby walks in! And you know I've always had a soft spot for Gibby! But then Brad walks in and looks totally upset and I'm just this evil witch because I didn't even apologize but I don't know that I should either. I mean it's not like Brad and I are official or anything, so it's fine right? Ugh… up is down and down is up. I'm so confused!" she blurted in one single breath.

Sam arched her eyebrows, it was official, her best friend had lost her mind.

"There there," she said patting Carly on the head, "First, slow down you sound like a chipmunk. Second, sometimes these things happen. And you know I did tell you, what goes around comes around."

Carly whimpered and was now on the verge of tears.

"SAM!" Freddie exclaimed as a tearful Carly slouched deeper into the couch.

"What? She messed up! What do you want me to do? Lie to her? She's my best friend, Benson!" Sam retorted.

"Of course not! But you can still be honest without being brutal!" he countered as he sat next to her on the coffee table across from Carly.

Sam shrugged "I am who I am!"

Freddie rolled his eyes at her, letting out a deep sigh and turned to face Carly.

"Look Carly, Sam's right to an extent, you got yourself into a bind back there but it's obvious that this happened for a reason. You are obviously confused and you owe it to yourself and Brad to figure it out. There's no point in taking things further with him if you think you feel something for someone else. So it's something you need to explore. Right Sam?" he asked turning to Sam for support.

"Are you kidding me?" she stared at him incredulously. "This is Gibby we are talking about. In what world do you think I'd ever consent to that Benson? I can't even believe we're having this conversation!"

"She's obviously confused Sam and she's your best friend, you should consent to whatever would make her happy!"

Sam wasn't quite sure why this was bothering her so much. All she knew was that Carly had spent the last 3 months talking about Brad all the time and now all of a sudden she's confused over Gibby?

"I thought Brad was one of your best friends, Benson! You're the one who helped set him and Carly together and now you're just telling her to blow him off?"

"Brad is one of my best friends, that true. But so are Carly and Gibby! And no I'm not telling her to blow him off. She needs to be honest with herself and Brad. If she has feelings for Gibby, then she will never be happy with Brad. She needs to spend time with each of them. She needs to figure out which one it is" he replied as calmly as he could.

Sam stood up and stared down at her two best friends unable to gather he thoughts quickly enough.

"So what, Gibby walks in here with 6-pack abs and 6-inches taller and suddenly she's in love with him too!" she asked unable to comprehend what was going on here.

"No Sam!" Carly finally spoke up with a concerned expression on her face, "It's not like that at all, really!"

Before she could stop herself though, she said the words she would probably regret.

"Is that what you people do! You string someone along until you find someone you think is better by whatever superficial standards you have!"

Freddie stood up now and stared her down. She looked at him and saw what looked like hurt, anger, and shock all at once.

"You _people_! String along? Sam, what is this really about!" he asked his voice as loud as hers now.

"People leave when they get bored! After what happened with Jonah and after what Steven did to you Carly, I thought you'd think twice about doing something like this to someone, especially someone nice like Brad. But what does it matter, that's just what people do isn't it?"

Carly and Freddie stared at her in stunned silence. She couldn't believe she had blurted that all out. She could feel the heat in her face as embarrassment swept over her, and she wanted nothing more than to disappear.

"Sam…" Freddie began, his face softening and he spoke her name, his deep brown eyes full of concern locked on hers.

She could feel her throat clench up and her eyes burned as she fought back the tears that were desperately seeking to betray her.

"Look," she said closing her eyes, "just forget it ok? Forget I said anything. I've got a house to design." She turned away from them and began to head toward the staircase.

"Sam! Wait…" he said running after her grabbing her arm, no fear in his eyes from this bold move.

"I said forget it, Benson! Now let go of me!"she said yanking her arm from his grasp. She was drained and needed to escape before he tried speaking to her again.

She made her way up the flight of stairs, once again leaving her two best friends in stunned silence.


	14. iCarry a Torch

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or any of its characters. All rights belong to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon.

* * *

><p>After what seemed to be an eternity of dumbfounded silence, Carly was the first to speak up.<p>

"Freddie?" she called out, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Hmmm?" he responded without looking at her. His stare was still focused on where Sam had been standing only moments before. It amazed him how often Sam could leave him so speechless from one minute to the next.

"Freddie, you do know what just happened, right?" she asked.

He whipped his head around to face her, confused, as though her question had been posed in the language of a foreign far away land.

"Yeah, Carly…I totally got every word of that!" he replied sarcastically as he plopped down on the couch beside her.

"I'm serious Freddie!" she urged.

"Carly, if you even managed to understand any of that, I'd be truly surprised. She completely lost her marbles on us!"

"Oh come on now Freddie! You cannot be that dense! It's really quite simple" she exclaimed flailing her arms about as she rose from the couch and paced the room.

"Quantum physics is "quite simple," understanding Sam Puckett is way beyond simplicity!"

He just didn't know what to tell Carly, he really didn't know what Sam's outburst was about. She never seemed to really care about what guy Carly chose to date. He stopped Carly in the middle of her boys-are-so-clueless rant to bring up this point.

It dawned on Freddie that this probably was not the best idea as Carly groaned in frustration and pounded her forehead on the kitchen counter lightly.

After a moment she replied saying "This has nothing to do with me, Brad, or Gibby…at least not directly anyway. But it has everything to do with you!"

"ME!" Freddie stared at her more confused than ever but waited for the explanation that was undoubtedly going to follow.

Carly sighed and walked back toward the couch and sat next to him and asked, "Freddie, how do you feel about Sam?"

The question caught him off guard. He wasn't ready for it and he definitely was not ready to have this conversation with Carly. Though he constantly struggled with thoughts of Sam and his feelings for her, he had never actually spoken aloud the words etched in his heart. "What? I don't see what that has to do with what just happened."

"It has everything to do with what happened!" she cried out. "Now quit avoiding the question and answer me!"

He looked toward the door wondering if he could make a fast escape, but knew that running from Carly would do him no good. She'd just hunt him down and get it out of him sooner or later.

"Freddie!" she called with a warning tone as if reading his thoughts.

"You were in the room last night, weren't you? You saw what happened. You giggled with delight. You know how I feel" he said with annoyance now unfolding.

"No! I want you to _tell_ me how you feel about her!" she said, emphasizing the word 'tell'.

Freddie sighed, closed his eyes, and shook his head before speaking. As he spoke he kept his eyes closed picturing Sam and everything he loved about her.

"I like her, ok? I mean I really like her Carly. She drives me completely insane at times but she's the only girl I've thought about for the past year and a half. It's a long time to carry a torch for someone who doesn't feel the same way but I don't know what to do. I tried to talk to her so many times after the kiss at the lock-in but you know just as well as I do about what happened when you even tried to broach the subject with her."

He opened his eyes to find Carly just smiling, beaming from ear to ear, as he declared his feelings. He could see her excitement bubbling and knew she was ready to burst at any second.

"Tell her now then! If you still feel that way, you need to tell her!" Carly insisted as she bounced on the couch, attempting her best to remain composed.

"What! No, Carly you remember her threats last time!" he argued.

He had been telling himself a hundred times since he had arrived in Seattle, that he would work up the courage and tell Sam how he felt but now that he had finally said it out loud to someone, that Carly was in front of him encouraging him to do so, it all felt real and the pressure of it was bringing out cowardice.

"iCarly is over Freddie! She can't threaten to quit anymore. You need to tell her. Can't you see that she feels the same way about you? I know she does!"

"Oh really? You know it for a fact? Sam came up to you and told you how she feels about me?" he asked with disbelief.

"Well, no she didn't, but—" she began to protest but Freddie cut her off.

"Then you know nothing!" he exclaimed.

"Oh please, don't be ridiculous Freddie! She's my best friend; she doesn't have to verbally say everything for me to know how she feels. Besides she practically told you to your face how she felt 15 minutes ago!"

Freddie raised his eyebrows unconvinced. "15 minutes ago, Sam was ripping both our heads off. If that's any indication of how she feels about me, then I'd do well by keeping my mouth shut!"

"Boy! Were you not listening to a word she said?"

She stood up shaking her head and Freddie could hear as she muttered something about boys and stubborn mules. She then moved to sit on the coffee table across from him.

"It's my turn to sit here and counsel you then! Freddie, Sam may be impulsive and brutally honest at times and all kinds of crazy. But the crazy thing is really how she can be such a loyal friend 100% of the time, especially to the people she cares about. You know this is true, you know that she will go out of her way to protect and defend those she cares about. As much as you two bickered and argue in the past, she defended you as well. Unfortunately people in her life haven't always shown her that same loyalty."

Freddie still wasn't sure where this was going so he let Carly continue.

"She's been constantly disappointed, even though she'd never want it to show. Her dad, he just left her and her family without so much as a goodbye. Her mother dates random men with complete reckless abandon. Her ex-boyfriend betrayed her by hitting on her best friend! She watched as Stephen proved to be a two-timing liar, only furthering her lack of trust in guys. The only people Sam has complete faith and trust in, is us!"

Everything Carly was saying suddenly began to make sense to him. He still didn't see how it all related to how Sam felt about him though.

"Carly, I get it. Guys in Sam's life have always been jerks and not even close to being good enough for her. But I wasn't telling you to cheat on Brad and I know you weren't planning on it either. I've known for a while how you felt about Gibby, I just didn't know you still had those feelings."

"See, Sam never knew about the whole Gibby thing. So from her point of view, it seemed like I was bored with Brad and wanted the new and improved Gibby, and you were there supporting the idea of it."

Freddie nodded in understanding but remained silent in thought.

"She likes you Freddie. She probably even loves you. You don't just kiss someone the way she kissed you and say it meant nothing. She likes you but she's scared. She's scared that you will leave her, that you'll get bored of her and look for someone else, or worse that you'll hurt her. You know as well as I do that it's not just any guy who can really hurt her, but you can because she already cares about you, because you're her best friend, and because she has something to lose if it all fails."

"Carly, I would never do that to Sam though. I wouldn't cheat on her and I definitely could never get bored of her! She's known me long enough to know that I wouldn't do something like that."

"She probably did know and was sure of that, until 20 minutes ago when we gave her the wrong idea about my problem with Brad and Gibby."

Freddie looked at Carly, amazed that she had been able to draw such conclusions so promptly and asked, "Did you really come up with that just based on her single outburst?"

Carly smiled and nodded, "I guess it's a girl thing, we tend to read between the lines."

"So, what now?" he asked unsure of how to proceed with repairing the damages.

"Well, you need to talk to her, tell her how you feel so you two can finally figure out what you want to do about it. But right now I think we need to clear the air with her and clarify the misunderstanding" she said simply.

"Ok, and Carly, I will talk to her about what I feel but let me do it ok? Try not to get too excited and give it away, it's something I want to talk to her about."

"Of course, I totally understand. Anyway, I'll go up first and try to smooth things over with her. I've got some explaining to do. When you come back later this evening to work on your gingerbread house stuff you guys can patch things up as well."

He watched as Carly bounced up the stairs, hoping that she'd be able to calm Sam down. Assuming he still had his partner for the competition, he figured doing some research on gingerbread houses might help his case with her, or in the least it couldn't make matters worse.


End file.
